Can anyone tell me about these two breeders. I am looking for a puppy, and a friend purchased one from Silvermine.

I've been recommended to Skylon from some people on the Chronicle of the Horse online forum (like this but for horses), and wanted to hear the good and bad of this breeder. I've been emailing with Judy and she sounds very nice, but I am a little concerned at the # of litters she has each year. However, I do have friends in South Carolina that breed labs for field trials, and have some of the top labs in the country and have numerous litters a year too. So, I don't know if I should be alarmed at the high number of litters, or not.

Her dogs on the website do look beautiful. Any thoughts on either of these breeders would be great. I currently have an American red golden, and would really like to get an English (love the thicker look) and preferably a cream female.

I looked at Skylon Kennels website and she has a VERY large number of puppies and dogs being bred. That would scare me away.
And as for Silvermine Kennels if you google it after their website is listed there is several complaints about that breeder.
I would suggest you go to the GRCA website and check their site for puppy referrals. Also at the top of the website is a miscalleous button with "a puppy buyers fact checker" for some good information. Good luck with finding a puppy. But dont discount a rescue for a dog. They also get some puppies sometimes.

I'd recommend going to GRCA.org and contacting the breeder referral in your area - no guarantee but you've got some better odds I think. The big things are obvious - clearances, proper documentation of the dogs and the lines - the number of litters that those two breeders are producing every year is a red flag, etc. NO ONE can truly care for and properly socialize 5-6 litters at a time - it's impossible - and scary.
Erica

Thanks for the advice. I am in the Washington, DC/NOVA area. I do know for sure I only want a dog where both parents have excellent hips, heart, and eye clearance.

I have also been referred to a breeder in Scotland, but don't know how much it costs to import from the UK.

My current golden is a rescue, and I love her so much that I would be terrified to rescue another that I didn't know it's health history. I've lucked out on one with absolutely amazing hips (as an 8 year old) and keep her on Cosequin everyday as a preventative, but I just don't think my heart could handle falling in love with a dog that might have hip problems in their bloodlines. I know later in life I'd love to adopt another Golden, but right now I really want to pick a beautiful show quality puppy that will improve the line. I think rescue is awesome, but right now I'd like to purchase a well bred dog. I also would love to start fostering, so I'm all for finding homes for the homeless doggies (and kitty's too).

I want to be certain that were talking about the same breeder. Is the location of Skylon in Ontario Canada? If it is, this is where I adopted my dog from. Yes , she does have alot of dogs...some are in outdoor pens..some run around the area with the hired help. Some of the dogs there, are older becasue people have returned them, unable to care for them. In her contract , if you are unable to look after the dog , she is to take back responsibility of the dog. Not everyone can or wants to handle a retriever.
So far Garcia has been amazing..he's gorgeous. He's 1 year old this November and in great health and temperment of an angel...lol....
Any more questions...feel free to ask

Finding dual excellent hips will be a challenge. IMO, "good" hips are perfectly acceptable in Goldens. Stay away from anything less than a rating of "good". Ditto on checking elbows, too. Hips, elbows, heart, eyes, thyroid...

I disagree-there is nothing wrong with an OFA rating of "Fair." There is no evidence of DJD in Fair hips. This is where family history can be important. I would rather breed a dog with Fair hips whose parents, etc. were Good or Better, than a dog with Good hips whose parents, etc. did not have clearances or were dysplastic or had a history of producing dysplasia.

That said, I would generally not breed a Fair to a Fair. I would prefer to breed a Fair to a Good or an Excellent.

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